Take a photo of a barcode or cover
proteinscollide's review against another edition
2.0
Solid mystery with all the Francis touches. This was an interesting look at when things go wrong, and the way the culture of the races permeates into the lives of those who rely on it for their living.
Denoument is...interesting. The health care professional in me was horrified about how Francis did not seem to understand that asthma can be deadly and still kills people regularly. Also, the romance in this one is really a YMMV one that might be uncomfortable for some, particularly the way the female lead is worn down by the 'tenacity' of the hero.
Denoument is...interesting. The health care professional in me was horrified about how Francis did not seem to understand that asthma can be deadly and still kills people regularly. Also, the romance in this one is really a YMMV one that might be uncomfortable for some, particularly the way the female lead is worn down by the 'tenacity' of the hero.
nenenest's review against another edition
4.0
An early Dick Francis. Not an overly complex plot and you’re told who the baddie is half way through the book. But still entertaining and compelling to read.
triolojm's review against another edition
4.0
Read this back in high school for the first time and got my social studies and psychology teacher to read it. He is now hooked on reading! I still re-read this book from time to time. It's not just a mystery but a psychological study, especially of athletes (crazy ones who ride horses at high speeds!)
frattonlad's review against another edition
4.0
Francis' second novel takes the successful formula from the first (male jockey who is a bit of an underdog but comes from a background of both discreet wealth and with an upbringing which bestowed a steely resolve in our hero).
The difference here though is that the case is hugely entertaining. Why Britain's leading jockeys all suffering career-threatening fates? Rob Finn falls foul too but sets about finding out why.
The depiction of a man driven is well realised and the characters are all beautifully drawn. The love story which seems like a secondary interest at the beginning evolves nicely over the course of this tautly-paced thriller.
Highly recommended.
The difference here though is that the case is hugely entertaining. Why Britain's leading jockeys all suffering career-threatening fates? Rob Finn falls foul too but sets about finding out why.
The depiction of a man driven is well realised and the characters are all beautifully drawn. The love story which seems like a secondary interest at the beginning evolves nicely over the course of this tautly-paced thriller.
Highly recommended.
beccamunchkin's review against another edition
4.0
Solid book. A compelling story and good characters, with just enough about horse racing to set the scene, but not so much that it’s tedious or so little that you had to know about it separately in order to understand the book. I felt for Finn for sure, and his friends. The book has a good twist that unwinds nice and slowly, too.
mood_reader_will_dnf's review against another edition
4.0
This in a blanket review of all DF books. I am choosing this book because it was my first, My favorite is the architect/house flipper one. I have them on a shelf I’ve labeled Comfort Food, because I’ve read them all like 5 times and for about a majority of them I can’t remember which one’s which. Even the one’s I can remember it’s mostly “the photographer one” or “the glass blower one.” However I LOVE these books. The repeated elements are described in other reviews. The ones with his son (Felix Francis) had the protagonists doing some morally ambiguous things; nuance/having to think is not what I read them for, so i stopped.
6/7/20 [not fully re-read]- My bad. Probably not my first. So far I don’t remember this one at all except that it’s The Incest One (the MC is in love w/ his own first cousin...Thankfully she does not reciprocate; I really have no idea how that arc ends though a sinking feeling she says ok at the end. Gah, I hope not!) I am so grossed out by that idea that it’s possible I didn’t even finish it, and I doubt I would’ve gone on to read all of DF’s books If I had started with this one. I think I started with Enquiry, though that one has a weird 1950’s portrayal of the MCs romantic partner, so I’m not positive. (So far 2.25 stars)
6/29/20 - yep, I was right, they get together, thus cementing the nickname The Incest One (DF tries to explain it’s not incest...and maybe at that time in England they had a different bar...but for me it is). I’m pretty sure, actually that I did indeed read this, because though I don’t remember the climax, I knew/suspected the bad guy from pretty early on, and it contained one of my favorite “hero in peril” scenes.
I think in the current climate the fact that he never (that I can think of) goes to the police is a plus for me. The MCs are simultaneously vengeful, and extremely merciful (the bad guy got off a lot lighter than he deserved) so I think I might raise it to 3* for the mystery, also because it was fairly easy for me to just skim, or even skip, the parts with his cousin (gag)
6/7/20 [not fully re-read]- My bad. Probably not my first. So far I don’t remember this one at all except that it’s The Incest One (the MC is in love w/ his own first cousin...Thankfully she does not reciprocate; I really have no idea how that arc ends though a sinking feeling she says ok at the end. Gah, I hope not!) I am so grossed out by that idea that it’s possible I didn’t even finish it, and I doubt I would’ve gone on to read all of DF’s books If I had started with this one. I think I started with Enquiry, though that one has a weird 1950’s portrayal of the MCs romantic partner, so I’m not positive. (So far 2.25 stars)
6/29/20 - yep, I was right, they get together, thus cementing the nickname The Incest One (DF tries to explain it’s not incest...and maybe at that time in England they had a different bar...but for me it is). I’m pretty sure, actually that I did indeed read this, because though I don’t remember the climax, I knew/suspected the bad guy from pretty early on, and it contained one of my favorite “hero in peril” scenes.
I think in the current climate the fact that he never (that I can think of) goes to the police is a plus for me. The MCs are simultaneously vengeful, and extremely merciful (the bad guy got off a lot lighter than he deserved) so I think I might raise it to 3* for the mystery, also because it was fairly easy for me to just skim, or even skip, the parts with his cousin (gag)
mutney44's review against another edition
3.0
It's fun to read the start of the legacy that is Dick Francis.
beautifulshell's review against another edition
3.0
I was surprised by the lack of suspense in this one; I spent the whole book expecting James to be the real culprit, when it was Rob Finn's suspect all along. It's only DF's second novel, so maybe that explains the lack of twist, but it had most of the usual enjoyable characteristics.